High school baseball: 2023 MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section Team

A total of 88 players have been identified as members of the 2023 MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section baseball team.

There are 28 players from the Classes of 2023 and 2024, along with 16 players each from the 2025 and 2026 classes. Each class also has its own Player of the Year.

The selection process was based on individual performance during section play, with regional play not being considered. An emphasis was placed on team success. Additionally, league and strength of schedule were taken into account. These selections were based only on high school results. If you feel a player was overlooked, please tweet @sacmaxpreps.

Special mention goes to coaches who provided complete statistical information to MaxPreps as they helped their players gain recognition. Class of 2023
P/1B — Nolan Stevens, Franklin (Elk Grove)
The Mississippi State pledge put up big numbers on the mound and at the plate as the Wildcats won the Division I section title. He finished 5-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 34 innings. In the batter's box, the All-American ripped a .360 batting average with 15 extra-base hits and 23 RBI.

OF — Tyler Allen, Whitney (Rocklin)
A big bat in the Wildcats lineup that hit .413 with 26 RBI and 12 extra-base hits. Used his speed to nab 25 stolen bases for the Division I section finalists.

P/1B — Andrew Balentine, Pitman (Turlock)
The Fresno State commit had a 2.66 ERA and a 6-1 record for the Pride, who went to the Division II section semifinals. Also a powerful hitter, Balentine hit .344 on his way to 30 RBI, five doubles and three home runs.

SS — Ace Begovich, Argonaut (Jackson)
Headed to Cuesta College, Begovich hit .451 as the Mustangs reached the Division 6 section title game. He ended the season with a 14-game hitting streak.

SS/P — Caden Beloian, Rio Americano (Sacramento)
Struck out 64 batters in 46 innings with a 0.91 ERA for a team that went to the Division II finals. Beloian added 25 hits to the Raiders offense along with 13 RBI and two home runs.

SS/P — Chase Christenson, Rio Americano (Sacramento)
He was lights out all season, compiling a 0.74 ERA and an 8-1 record. Equally impressive as a hitter, the senior hit .371 with 30 RBI and seven doubles.

SS — Dylan Drake, Christian Brothers (Sacramento)
Helped the Falcons to the Division 3 section semifinals by recording 50 hits in 96 at-bats. Eighteen of those hits were for extra bases.

C/P — Jack Erickson, Colfax
A beast at backstop and on the mound for the Falcons. As a hitter, he delivered with a .412 batting average and 28 RBI. In a midseason eight-game hitting streak, he notched 14 hits and had 12 RBI. On the mound, he went 6-0 with a 2.21 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

P/CF — Gavin Farinha, Turlock Christian (Turlock)
He was lights out for the Eagles all season, finishing the year with a 0.23 ERA and a 10-2 record in 62 innings. His 129 strikeouts topped the section.
P/1B — Jake Fields, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills)
Headed to Long Beach State, he helped the Trojans to a No. 5 finish in the section rankings. Fields hurled 73 strikeouts over 51.2 innings and had 5-1 record with a 1.35 ERA. Added a .328 batting average with nine extra-base hits.

P — Jace Gillmore, Whitney (Rocklin)
The Santa Clara commit has one of the most polished careers in the section and added seven wins as a senior. In 63.2 innings pitched, Gillmore walked eight batters while striking out 60. As a hitter, Gillmore clubbed four home runs.

P — Payton Hawkinson, Turlock
The Cal State Fullerton commit helped lead the Bulldogs into the vaunted Division I section playoff bracket. Hawkinson had double-digit strikeouts in four straight starts this season, including 10 in an 11-2 win over Pitman, a Division 2 section semifinalist. He finished the season with a 5-3 record, a 2.89 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.

C — Caleb Hendricks, Lincoln (Stockton)
Helped the Trojans to the Division I section semifinals after hitting .344 with 27 RBI. The backstop hit .500 and knocked in three runs in the first two rounds of the postseason.

P — Mitchell Hunter, El Capitan (Merced)
Nearly untouchable all season for the Gauchos as he finished the season 7-0 with a 0.37 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 56.1 innings. In a seven-game stretch between March 16 and April 25, Hunter allowed one earned run over 36.1 innings.

UT — Samuel Kahler, St. Mary's (Stockton)
The San Diego State commit hit .350 for Rams, who reached the Division I section semifinals. Kahler closed out the regular season with a nine-game hitting streak and had 10 RBI and three home runs this season.

P — Ricky Larsen, Ponderosa (Shingle Springs)
Helped the Bruins reach the Division III section semifinals by hurling a 1.68 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 58.1 innings. Had four seven-inning complete games and didn't allow an earned run in two of them.

P/OF — Marcus Maeder, Colfax

P/OF — Gavin McLendon, Whitney (Rocklin)
Dominant on the mound, McLendon won 10 games and pitched a combined no-hitter. The future San Diego State Aztec had a 1.66 ERA with 91 strikeouts. He also had big at-bats all season, finishing with 20 RBI and nine extra-base hits.

IF — Cowen Meyer, Placer (Auburn)
Meyer hit .414 as the Hillmen reached the Division 4 section semifinals. The Sacramento State commit drove in 25 runs this season and had 12 extra-base hits, five of which were home runs.

CF/P — Matt Moses, Del Campo (Fair Oaks)

P/SS — Jacob Ogilby, Mariposa County (Mariposa)
Did it all for the Grizzlies, who reached the section playoffs. Ogibly hit .517 with six home runs and 33 stolen bases. On the mound he struck out 63 over 40.2 innings. His best game of the season may have been against section champion Ripon Christian, where he allowed one hit in a complete-game victory with 11 strikeouts.

SS/P — Adam Reyes, Oakmont (Roseville)

C — Landon Sable, Sutter
Sable helped the Huskies win the Division 5 section championship by hitting .478 with 30 RBI. Closed out his senior season with a 17-game hitting streak, including at least one hit in every playoff game. Gunned down nine base runners trying to steal.

P/3B — Austin Stapleton, Woodland
With his arm and his bat, the senior helped the Wolves reach the Division 4 finals. In the second round of the playoffs against Liberty Ranch, Stapleton pitched a complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts in the 5-0 win while also driving in a run. He finished the season with a 1.05 ERA and a .465 batting average.

1B/OF — Braxton Thomas , Central Catholic (Modesto)
The senior led the section with 14 home runs, including one in the Raiders Division III section championship victory where Thomas had four hits. He finished with a .505 batting average, 27 extra-base hits and 37 RBI.

P/SS — Carson Timothy, Pioneer (Woodland)
Headed to UCSB, Timothy helped the Patriots to the Division III section finals with his arm and his bat. In three playoff starts, Timothy allowed three earned runs in 21 innings while striking out 27. He went 7-2 with a 0.65 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 65 innings and he hit .381 in the batter's box.

P/1B — Drew Walker, Pitman (Turlock)

P/IF — Rob York, Turlock Christian (Turlock)
The senior didn't allow an earned run in 52.2 innings for a squad that reached the Division 7 section finals. Equally lethal at the plate, York hit .408 with 27 RBI and three home runs.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2B — Jax Gimenez, Whitney (Rocklin)
Delivered against top competition all season, finishing with a .410 batting average as the Wildcats made a second straight trip to the Division I section finals. He started the season off with an 11-game hitting streak. In a four-game stretch against De La Salle, Ponderosa, Oakmont and Granite Bay he had 10 hits, including six for extra-bases. Defensively, Gimenez was a wizard in the middle of the infield.

P — Nic Abraham, Franklin (Elk Grove)
A finalist for Class of 2024 Player of the Year, he dominated all season long, picking up wins over Sheldon, Jesuit, Elk Grove, Lincoln of Stockton and two against Whitney, including in the Division I section final when he pitched a complete game win, striking out 10 in the process. A shark on the mound, he went 10-0 with a 0.45 ERA.

SS/2B — Conner Barth, Woodcreek (Roseville)
A gold glove-esque defender, Barth hit .388 and had 32 RBI in 40 hits. The Oregon State commit showed his power, barrelling three home runs and five doubles.

P — Jagger Beck, Sutter
After committing to Hawaii on April 27, Beck allowed one earned run in 15 innings during the Huskies' section-title run. He went 10-1 with a 0.73 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 67.1 innings.

P — Beckett Bo, St. Mary's (Stockton)
The lefty delivered six wins for the Rams, who made a deep playoff run. In 49.1 innings, Bo struck out 40 batters and finished the season with a 1.28 ERA.

IF — James Garceau, Yuba City
Helped the Honkers reach the Division 2 section playoffs with a .377 batting average and two home runs. The junior paced the section with 17 doubles.

P/UT— Adrian Garcia, Central Catholic (Modesto)
Closed out the year without allowing an earned run in his final five outings, spanning 25.1 innings, while striking out 41 batters. Garcia had a 2.27 ERA for the section champs and a .321 batting average.

P — Jack Ghufran, Granite Bay
Pitched great all season with a 3.07 ERA and saved his best for the Division II section title game when he went the distance and struck out 10 in the Grizzlies 4-0 win over Rio Americano.

2B/SS — Dylan Green, Woodcreek (Roseville)
The Oregon commit patrolled the middle infield for the Timberwolves, who reached the Division 2 section semifinals. Green hit .367 with 33 RBI and 17 extra-base hits.

SS — Koen Heupel, Golden Valley (Merced)
Led the section with 44 stolen bases, boosting his career total to 74. The shortstop also hit .436 and scored 27 runs.

P — Dustin Hoekstra, Ripon Christian (Ripon)
Allowed five earned runs all season and had a 0.71 ERA in 49 innings with 87 strikeouts. Also hit .430 with 38 RBI on the season with a 2-for-4 performance in the section championship win.

1B/3B — Tony Lira, Oakmont (Roseville)
The junior hit .400 for the Division 4 section champs. In the section semifinals and finals, the Arizona commit had three hits and drove in six runs.

P/OF — Jordan Lopez, Franklin (Elk Grove)
The Cal commit started the season on fire, going 3-for-4 with two RBI in an early non-league showdown against Whitney. Lopez hit .349 on the season with 13 RBI and eight doubles. On the mound, he averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning in his 32 frames.

IF — Sam Marr, Rio Americano (Sacramento)
A great defender, Marr contributed heavily with the bat, hitting .469 for the Division 2 section finalists. He hit in 16 straight games from April 4 to May 17, which included three multi-hit playoff games.

SS/P — Micah Nicholson, Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento)
Helped The Pride reach the Division 5 section championship game after a season where he hit .500 with 48 RBI and seven home runs. He also struck out 23 batters in 13.1 innings.

P — Austin Nye, Woodcreek (Roseville)
The Vanderbilt commit struck out 71 batters with a 1.16 ERA in 42.1 innings. Nye was often able to help himself with the bat, driving in 14 with a .287 batting average.

P — Ray Olivas, Lincoln (Stockton)
Olivas had outstanding efforts in playoff victories over McClatchy and River City. On the season, he went 7-1 with a 1.21 ERA and 70 strikeouts.

SS/P — Luke Oyler, Whitney (Rocklin)
The St. Mary's commit came up with big hits and big strikeouts all season for the Wildcats. He hit .414 with 24 RBI and nine doubles. On the mound, he won five games including a complete game shutout against Granite Bay, the Division 2 champs.

OF/1B — Drew Perry, Leroy Greene Academy (Sacramento)
Perry led the section with a .707 batting average and helped the Lions win the Division 6 section title. This junior did it all, hitting 11 doubles, four triples and eight home runs. He hit two grand slams in the same contest. His 55 RBI topped the section.

P — Russell Pettis, Elk Grove
Had a 2.15 ERA for the No. 6 team in the section. Pettis also won five games, including one against rival Sheldon, where the junior pitched six scoreless frames and struck out eight.

P/1B/OF — Michael Quedens, St. Mary's (Stockton)
The Michigan commit hit .394 with 16 extra-base hits for the Rams, who reached the Division I section semifinals. He was equally impressive on the mound, picking up five wins and 48 strikeouts in 21.2 innings.

IF/P — Korey Ramson, Leroy Greene Academy (Sacramento)

1B/P — Jacob Schreiber, Casa Roble (Orangevale)
Finished with a 1.90 ERA and .354 batting average for the Rams, who went to the Division 4 section semifinals. Pitched 14 postseason innings and only allowed one earned run while tallying a pair of wins.

C/OF — Grant Sonke, Ripon Christian (Ripon)
Helped the Knights win the Division 7 section title by hitting .455 with 40 RBI and four home runs. Scored a section leading 55 runs and stole 40 bases.

C — Ben Straw, Granite Bay
Aside from catching one of the best rotations in the section, Straw also had a lethal bat and hit .356 with 20 RBI.

OF — Rex Watson, Manteca
The University of San Diego commit got a hit in nearly half of his 2023 plate appearances. He finished with a .494 batting average and had 13 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 16 RBI.

OF/P — T.P. Wentworth, Central Catholic (Modesto)

UT — Kenny Winters, Lincoln
Hit .376 for the Fighting Zebras and knocked in 20 runs. Also showed a knack to hit for power, recording 14 extra-base hits including three home runs.

Class of 2025PLAYER OF THE YEAR
P — Tanner Grove, St. Mary's (Stockton)
Pitched 10 innings of one-run ball in the postseason as the Rams advanced to the Division I section semifinals. The sophomore pitched 49 innings and struck out 68 batters on the season, recording an 8-0 record and 0.71 ERA. On April 6, Grove picked up a win against Franklin — the Division I champs — after tossing three scoreless innings and striking out four.

P/UT — Eric Alvarez, Linden
Allowed four earned runs in 39 innings with 64 strikeouts for the Lions. Put together a solid season at the plate, hitting .306 with 10 RBI.

C — Eddie Ames, Leroy Greene Academy (Sacramento)
Hit .597 with 17 extra-base hits and 24 RBI for the Division 7 section champs.

P/1B — Chase Bentley, Granite Bay
The Texas A&M commit picked up wins over Woodcreek, Folsom, Del Oro and Yuba City and struck out 58 batters in 54.2 innings. Showed power at the plate, barreling four home runs.

SS — Beau Blake, Turlock Christian (Turlock)
Hit .459 for the Division 7 section finalists. Had a knack for driving in runs, finishing with 19 RBI and 13 extra-base hits.

UT — Jarrett Blake, El Capitan (Merced)

CF — Landon Dahler, Pioneer (Woodland)
Hit .407 and had a towering home run in the section semifinals to help send the Patriots to the Division 3 section finals.

UT — J.C. Lupercio, Hughson
Hit .482 with seven extra-base hits for the Huskies, who reached the Division 5 section semifinals.

P — Max Mankins, Hughson

P/IF — Erik Munoz, Buhach Colony (Atwater)
P/UT — Camden Peterson, El Capitan (Merced)
Hit .305 with 12 RBI for a squad that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Also recorded a 1.70 ERA in 24.2 innings of work.

SS — Josh Ramirez, Turlock
Helped the Bulldogs into the Division I playoffs with outstanding defense and a .395 batting average.

P/SS/OF — Brock Sell, Tokay (Lodi)
The Stanford commit hit .351 for the Tigers. On the mound, he retired 45 batters by the way of the K in 36.1 innings.

P/IF — Drew Van Court, Pioneer (Woodland)
Committed to Oregon State, Van Court hit .348 and had a 2.10 ERA for the Division 3 section finalists. Struck out 49 batters in 36.2 innings.

P/3B — David Wiser, Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento)
Helped The Pride reach the Division 5 finals by hitting .386 with 36 RBI and winning nine games on the mound with a 1.63 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
P/IF — Hunter Lynch, Argonaut (Jackson)
The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder was magnificent every time his number was called. In 67 at-bats, he hit .493 with 19 RBI, seven doubles and four home runs. He mowed batters down when on the mound, striking out 52 hitters in 42.2 innings while recording a 1.48 ERA. His arm and bat continued to thrive in the postseason as Lynch recorded seven hits and allowed two earned runs in 12 innings while striking out 17 for the Division 6 section finalists.

IF/C — Tyson Beyah, Leroy Greene Academy (Sacramento)
Stepped right into the lineup and hit .492 in 59 at-bats for the Division 7 section champs.

UT — Ayden Crawford, Rio Linda
Made an impact immediately, hitting .446 with 11 RBI and seven extra-base hits.

IF — Ayden Deome, West Park (Roseville)
Committed to Arizona, he hit .346 in 78 at-bats while playing defense at a high level.

P/1B — Joe Farinha, Turlock Christian (Turlock)
Showed flashes of greatness by hitting .343 and recording a 0.58 ERA on the mound for the Division 7 section finalists. Also struck out 46 batters in 24 innings.

IF — Chase Groves, Elk Grove
Had four multi-hit games and finished the season with a .323 average for the Thundering Herd.

IF — Dax Hardcastle, St. Mary's (Stockton)
Hit .325 with 14 RBI and seven doubles for a very talented Rams team.

IF — Jason Harris, Franklin (Elk Grove)
Harris delivered a key hit that led to a big scoring inning in the Division I section championship game. On the season, he had 15 RBI and six extra-base hits including three triples.

SS — Sammy Kane, Jesuit (Carmichael)

P/OF — Max Medina, Patterson
The lefthander struck out 22 in 19.1 innings. Thrived at the plate, hitting .342 in 76 at-bats with five extra-base hits.

OF — Dylan Minnatee, Franklin (Elk Grove)
Hit .329 with 18 RBI and six extra-base hits for the section champs.

C/P — Levi Nyberg, Cordova (Rancho Cordova)
Hit .547 in 53 at-bats for the Lancers, also showing power with 11 doubles and 29 RBI. On the mound he was filthy, delivering a 0.44 ERA and striking out 47 in 32 innings.

P/1B/3B — Landon Schutte, Oakdale
Standing 6-foot-4, Schutte had a 1.83 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. As a hitter he hit .371 with 21 RBI and three home run bombs.

P/UT — Ari Silva, McClatchy (Sacramento)
Was first team All-Metro League after hitting .371 and notching a 2.45 ERA.

UT — David Silveira, Foresthill
Hit .443 for the Wildfires, who reached the playoffs. Also a speed demon, Silveira stole 29 bases.